Sen No Yoru Woe Koete
by tenkage onna
Summary: What if Manta HAD left for america? What would have happened? While away, a silent vow is made, and a wish born. Lets meet again, someday.
1. Chapter 1

YAAAAY its another horrifying fic? this ones on the fluffier, not horrifying side XD so, no worries!...i think. i havent got much planned out passed this or the next chapter, so there could be bad stuff maybe. not likely.

warnings: angst, AU, OOC? shounen ai, spoilers if you havent read past faust's fight, aaaand maybe even beyond that.

inspiration: "star struck" by lady gaga, and "sen no yoru woe koete" by aqua timez.

reasons: i just adore this pairing and i really wanna write a chapter fic based on this idea suddenly.

rating: T or more, prolly just T.

pairing: yoh/manta (or either way, manta/yoh, whichever)

summary: what if manta HAD left for america? what would have happened? and, why does he have these feelings that confuse him suddenly?

disclaimer: noooot mine~ it wouldnt be passed book 1 if i owned it, i'm so lazy!

erm, enjoy? i hope so anyway. also, as much of a nitpick as I am, my version isnt exactly spot on with quotes or actions...so, please forgive that. ALSO, this is based on the mangaverse, so it'll differ from the anime more than likely. just so you know!!

onward!

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Light taps echoed the down the hallway, one of the few noises to be heard in the quiet hospital wing. Holding the can of soda in a subdued manner, Manta frowned deeply as he made his way down the hall. The events of the day ran through his mind, sharp and stinging like the slight bruise on his cheek. Leaving to America...just like that? Narrowing his eyes a little, he sighed. Its not like he hadn't known it was coming...but he had been so wrapped up in the last year with Yoh that he hadn't really paid it much attention. Speaking of Yoh...

"Spring break is almost out, and he hasn't even visited me yet...he didn't even tell me how the battle went." he mumbled to himself, closing his eyes in disappointment. He could end up moving, and he'd never be able to tell Yoh if he didn't visit soon. The pang of worry that shot through his stomach made his frown deepen, and he glanced up at the walls, searching out his own room number.

As the numbers passed by, he mumbled softly, "Thats ru-" he froze, nearly falling flat on his face the soda dropping to the tiled floor with a loud clang.

Eyes wide, the blond felt like kicking himself. "Of course he cant visit me, HE'S in the hospital!!" he cried, screwing up his hair.

Suddenly, his stomach dropped and he felt numb. Briefly, Manta thought, how was Yoh? How did the battle go? It couldn't have gone well if Yoh was in the hospital. Manta himself only remembered bits and pieces after Faust had sliced him open, fear and pain having control of his mind for most of that battle. All he really remembered was Anna showing up, and Yoh trying desperately to get to him.

A gnawing fear began to worm itself into Manta's throat as well, making his words quake a little. "Wait...how did that battle go?!"

He had to know!

Yoh wasn't in the least surprised to see Manta's tiny frame burst through the closed hospital door, as he had heard his loud self-musings before hand. However, a nervousness had began to make him think twice. Think thrice even. Did he have the heart to lie like this? Anna saw the expression in her fiancé's eyes the moment that the tiny blond teenager's voice echoed loudly in the hallway, and resisted the urge to say anything. She knew why Yoh was doing this, and she wouldn't stop him.

Peeling an apple carefully and seemingly calmly with a small knife, as she had every day, Anna glanced up at Manta's disgruntled form then back at the apple, uncaring. Amidamaru did as Anna had, glancing up at Manta, then away. The atmosphere was tense with apprehension, and the looming question in the trio's mind as Manta began to pick up on the vibes they sent out. Could Yoh do it?

Eyes narrowing and hardening, like the expressions Anna knew well from the teenager's younger years, Yoh glowered at Manta. Almost flinching back, the tiny blond smiled awkwardly.

"Y-Yoh!" then to Anna and Amidamaru, "Why the long faces...? How did the fight go...?" he asked, eyes hopeful as he watched his friend.

Yoh almost slipped from character, Anna noticed, at the mention of Faust's victory. "I lost Manta. Faust moved onto the second round, he had two wins." the brunette bit out.

This time Manta DID flinch back. "O-Oh..." he knew it. Guilt flooded his chest, and he couldn't meet the bitter expression. What would he say to that? He knew why the other lost. Biting his lip and resting a hand over his chest, Manta closed his eyes. "I...I'm sorry. Its my fault...if I hadn't run..." he said, sincere.

Focus turned to the boy in the bed, who wavered a moment, thankful that Manta's eyes were closed. Anna narrowed her eyes, wondering what would happen. Yoh winced, and, with as much coldness as he could muster, replied, "Yup. I couldn't agree more."

Something snapped suddenly, and Manta looked up at Yoh, eyes wide. Had he really just said that? Yoh had never been that cold. Sure, he seemed disappointed with his friend sometimes, but he had never...never so outwardly said something like this. Manta wasn't sure how to take this. "W-What!?" the word fell from his mouth, making him feel stupid.

Yoh had closed his eyes, and if anyone in the room had been able to see them, his act would have been shattered immediately. Opening them with a shrug, he narrowed them, trying hard to mimic the way Anna looked when he hadn't cleaned the house entirely. He briefly wondered if his eyes words and eyes reflected what he had said. "I told you not to run, but you panicked. Because of you, my dream was almost lost."

No, take it back...! It didn't matter if it was true! It didn't even matter if he didn't mean it! His heart sank when Manta's eyes began to light up with understanding and denial.

"But I...I didn't mean to. T-This is for real...? You're serious?" Manta choked out. Take it back...! He smiled purely out of nervousness.

I cant, Yoh told himself, then forced a look of utter hate. "Go away. We're not friends anymore."

As if struck, the blond went still, flinching back moments after. Mouth opening and closing wordlessly for a second, Manta struggled to get passed the declaration. "W-Why....why're you saying this?" he asked shakily, voice low. "My parents told me not to hang out with you! They want me to move to America!" he cried, the telltale tingles of tears working their way from his eyes. "But I was ready to defy them! Because you were my friend! I...I thought we shared a bond, because I could see ghosts!" I thought you...he began to think, but forced down. Tears began to flow, and even though he utterly loathed crying in front of his friend, Manta didn't care. Not when said friend had just told him he was nothing to him. Not when his world had just shattered.

"But I was WRONG! You're a jerk!!" he yelled, eyes closing, unable to see the way his own cries had affected the brunette.

As Manta turned and ran, Yoh caught himself before he could reach out for him, to tell his first living friend to stay. As the words finally sunk in, Yoh's eyes widened. Moving...? Before he could think much further, everything seemed to shatter with Manta's departing wails.

"YOU'RE A HEARTLESS JERK!"

Everything stopped. Somewhere along the line, the steadily forming crack had burst apart, and the fragments were too sharp to touch now. Listening to the fading echoes of Manta's slippers slap the tiled floors, Anna took a bite from the recently peeled apple. She had been quietly watching the exchange, and now she felt something akin to sympathy for the teen who had run out.

"Wow, you made him cry." she said calmly, as if she hadn't just watched two of her friend's just break off their friendship. "I didn't know you could be so cruel." she added, sighing a little.

Behind her, Amidamaru was a little more considerate of his master's feelings. Looking at him helplessly, hoping against hope, the samurai asked, "A-Are you sure about this master Yoh?" he was ready to launch after the long gone Manta at any moment.

Refraining from telling his partner to do so, Yoh whispered, "I'm sure. Manta got hurt because of me. He'll be safer far from the fights...if he stayed, he might get hurt again...or worse." the way his voice cracked with the admission, told the occupants of the room that Yoh had thought this through and through. After all, he had had nothing but time to think while he waited for Manta's arrival. He wasn't doing this for himself, because the last thing he wanted was to send away his first friend. After everything that had happened, after everything they'd been through together, the last thing Yoh wanted was for Manta to leave.

But..."I'll have to fight someone far worse than Faust next. And I'd have to fight Faust again anyway eventually..." leaning forward to pull his legs closer to his chest, the brunette's lips dipped into a sad frown. The memory of Ren's sudden appearance, saving Yoh and showing off his new Oversoul, had given the young shaman a glimpse at what was in store for himself, and what he could lose if he wasn't careful. Faust's story of his wife had reminded Yoh too much of what HE had almost lost.

"I...don't want to put Manta through that again." he murmured.

Silence followed his explanation, in which Amidamaru sniffled to himself. "And after you had just found a friend..." he wept, truly touched by the strength Yoh had displayed today.

However, Anna found herself less sympathetic, and more irritated at her lack of words. She couldn't really think of what to say, for she knew no words could help her fiancé right now. She also knew that even though she hadn't been keen on Yoh's decision, she had agreed to it. It made her feel like a criminal, and she knew her agreement had settled Yoh's mind that night two months ago. She did the only thing she could do. She changed the subject.

"Thats all well and nice, but what are you going to do NOW? You cant afford to screw up again." she said, and though it sounded cold, Yoh appreciated her gesture.

A silence followed only for a moment, before Yoh announced the unspoken plan he had decided on only last month. "I'm going home to Izumo." he declared, voice stronger than it had been before.

Anna turned, eyes wide. "To...Izumo?" she said, mainly to herself.

Yoh nodded, eyes determined. He leaned his chin on his knees, eyes glazing up with unshed tears and unspoken thoughts. "Yeah. I'll work my butt off and get strong..." he replied, a deep frown curving onto his lips. The next sentence was quiet, meant only to solidify his own vows, yet it carried more meaning than anyone in that room could really understand just then. "And then someday, I'll bring back Manta."

oooooooooooooooo

The airport was crowded and loud, like a miniature city had been crammed into a building. The black board that hung high above the waiting area displayed city names in green and red, changing with every plane that took off and landed. Families crowded the chairs, and couples said their goodbyes at the terminals. Manta averted his eyes, a sudden hate swelling up in his chest. He wasn't sure why, but the sorrow filled couples only reminded him further of Yoh, and his own departure.

Next to him, his younger sister Mannoko was whining loudly. "Why does Manta get to go by himself, thats not FAIR!"

His mother ignored the girl with the skill of a woman who ignores all. "I'm so glad you agreed to go...everything will be much easier, ne? I wish I could go to." she sighed dreamily. Something about his mother made Manta want to take off running. He let out a quiet sigh at the thought. As if he could. Not only did he no longer have anyone to turn to if he DID run away, but his father would find him. And then he'd be in real trouble.

Glancing towards the massive glass windows that showed the planes taking off and landing, Manta felt something like a bubble begin to fill his chest. It grew and grew, and cut off his oxygen supply for what felt like years as he listened to the voice over the intercom announce his flight. Standing up rigidly, the blond began to walk towards the terminal, each step making the bubble swell more and more.

Behind him, his mother babbled on to fill the silence, everything she said, every pseudo phrase of love and care, making the bubble grow. His sister sensed the mood, and even through her immature whining, she knew her brother didn't want to go. She also had a vague feeling that he didn't want to stay either. Her whining died down a bit, but Mannoko's pout didn't go away. She still wanted to go to the states by herself to...

Manta stopped when the lady asked for his ticket, and he offered it, glancing back to see the place he'd more than likely, never see again. He noticed a crowd making noise, and heard a familiar deep laugh, and his chest tightened. Not far from his left, in another terminal, he saw a couple kiss and hug and say things he couldn't hear. "I love you"s and whispers of farewell, "I'll call"s and "we'll see each other again"s and soft expressions and lingering touches. They weren't cold eyes and teary betrayed sobs, and they more than certainly entailed long promises to meet again.

Turning quickly, the blond took off down the terminal, unable to stand the sight. The peach colored wallpaper of the terminal seemed too fake, and seemed to go on for forever. Even quickening his pace, when Manta had finally met the line between him and the plane, he found it hard to wait. The bubble in his throat and chest got bigger and bigger with every second, and he could still see that couple and hear those familiar laughs. By the time he had gotten to the plane, it felt as if he had run a marathon with the world outside, and Manta was relieved to be seated and leaving.

Glancing out the window, the familiar trees and mountains, the houses and the sky, they all seemed to run at him, slamming into the teen, who felt like he might suffocate at any moment now. It felt as if time was frozen and that every memory he had of Funbari was trying to pull him back, take back his course and lead him somewheres else. Squeezing his eyes shut, and tuning out the flight attendant, the small blond tried hard to ignore everything around him. He cracked an eye open and saw his mother and sister watching from the window, saw Ryu and his gang waltz behind them towards their own flight, and felt as if something was about to shatter.

The vibration of the plane startled the frantic teen from his musings, and though he had ridden planes before and knew there was nothing to fear, something shouted at him to stop the plane, stop the ride because it looked much scarier once he was on it. The bubble inflated even further, and if Manta didn't know any better, he'd say it was really there.

But it was too late to yell "stop the ride!" now. He was already going up the inclined part of the roller coaster, and he was going to drop soon, and nothing could stop him now. Teetering on that edge, backwards or forwards, he had to decide. And he had. As the plane began to lift off, and the land began to grow smaller and smaller, and water began to take up more and more of his window view, Manta felt that bubble pop at last. But because of the size, and the pressure within it, the explosion was huge, and agonizing. The ride down that incline, coupled with the explosion, nearly sent him flying from the ride.

Everything began to shatter around him again, and everything finally sunk in. The words, the cold looks, the couples, the exploding feeling he felt inside, it all overwhelmed him at once, yet it was simple and numb, leaving one thought to linger before the others swamped him. He was leaving behind Yoh, his first friend, and no one but himself would ever care.

The world took on a new meaning, and suddenly, the ride froze in place halfway down the incline.

Then, before he could blink, time restarted, and it was all over. When it was all said and done, he was alone now, and when he glanced around, it was only him, and a view of the bleak outside. It felt as if nothing changed and the year with Yoh and Anna and Amidamaru had never occurred to begin with. Or rather, everything all erased itself from his mind, save for a warm smile, that he finally understood. And seconds later, he understood he'd never see it again.

Never again...

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(heavy breath of relief!!!) Dx manta's part was........erm, odd. probably very fragmented, but that was paaaartly the point. and i know, by taking this part out, a lot of the show will change, let alone the manga! i'm sorta unsure of how to proceed with that, but i'm sure i'll think of something x..x;; yes, there will be a plot, and no, this wont be the last time yoh or manta meet. i wont get to big on my plans, but i assure you, it'll go on, with hopefully just as much interest as this chapter might hold. thank you for reading!!


	2. Chapter 2

inspiration: "hold my hand" by new found glory and "its been a summer" ALSO by new found glory. and "get wild" by len in vocaloid. oh yeah, i listened to a vocaloid song D8 aint i horrible XD (jk)

w00t! thanks for the reviews guys~ i really do appreciate them!!

_**Hikari Motomiya-**_ i lurv manta and yoh/manta to X3 always been a squeal factor for mee. i'm glad you find it good so far! i'm gonna try to keep manta and yoh in character XD might be a bit shakey sometimes, but i will try! (cuz they're too cool to ruin D8) thank you for your review and fav!

_**kerokacola- **_i'm glad you like it so far! book six is my fav so far, i just had to start from it! plus i figured it'd be a good way to catch everyone up so that it wouldnt be like "WHOA whats going on?" XD;;

_**X-Ruby-X- **_i'm glad and i shall! X3

_**Atractivlyhideous- **_(blushes and shuffles) aww~ i'm glad it was a tear jerker X3 and thank you very much, i appreciate it. i'm still workin on getting better though XD i'm happy to be getting there!

_**PennyArcadeFan2-**_ thanks (smiles) i just tried to write it how i tend to think when i'm freaking out and sad, like, really kinda spazzy. i'm glad you think so, i know tons of better authors, but i'm glad to be one of them in your book! X3

thank you all very very much!! i am happy everyones got high hopes for this, its really motivating! oh! sidenote, i envisioned this in california for some reason. maybe cuz thats where alota asians live? idk if thats just a stereotype, but eh. its april in the story btw.

and enough of my rambling! onwaaard! (battle cry, runs off!!....smashes into wall) X.x e-er...yeah, anyway!

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The house stood tall and regal, reflecting the wealth of the owners in the tall glass windows. The wide double door on the first floor was white, and it opened to a pale blue carpet that nearly sucked up Manta's feet. On either side was a smaller doorway, one towards the kitchen, another to the living room. Tamura had explained the basic layout over the phone before the flight, so that the teenager wouldn't get lost once inside the house. Indeed, it was quite spacious, all white walls and grand furniture and paintings, doors and windows.

Right in front of the tired blond stood a tall and grand staircase that bridged off with two hallways that were hidden behind more walls. The right hallway would lead to his own room, and a bathroom, Manta remembered. Manta tiredly climbed the stairs one at a time, hardly remembering if the door was closed or not. The ride had been so long and uncomfortable in the plane, and all Manta wanted to do now that he was "home" was sleep. And the sun had barely risen!

His own room was much too wide for his tastes. Not that he really liked cramped or small places, but so much space felt like the room was empty. Against the wall sat a large bed, with crisp and clean bedsheets lining it and a fluffy pillow at the headboard. Over it was a window, and next to that, a sliding glass door that lead to one of the balconies that lined the back of the house. Glancing at the door, the blond sighed and walked over to it, opening it a crack to let out the stagnant air that circulated the room.

Looking out it tiredly, eyes half lidded, he peered outside into the vast world beyond his new home. He could see the sun rising, and the school he'd be going to. The rays of light lit up the trail of blackened windows on the side that faced him, and glinted off the metal of the metal of a flagpole, making him wince a little. Manta was thankful that it was an off day for his new school, because he wasn't sure he was up to the glaring building.

A knock sounded from the door, and the blond glanced back tiredly. "Yes?"

The door opened slowly, revealing Tamura. The man bowed, then stood straight. "How are you finding you're new home?" he asked kindly.

The boy turned and blinked. His new home. When Tamura said it, it sounded so permanent, and he found himself mentally kicking himself. Of course it was permanent, what ever gave him the idea it wasn't? Manta smiled and replied, "Its nice. You can see so far from the balcony to." he said, forcing the eagerness into his voice. There was no reason to fake his stoic side, it was only Tamura here after all.

The man smiled a little. "I'm glad you like it so far."

A silence settled for a moment, not awkward or tense, just a silence. Manta turned halfway towards the balcony and squinted at the building beyond the houses. "Is that my new school?" he asked, curious.

"It is. Its well known and has a good rating. Your father thought it would be good for you." the blond explained, rattling off the information easily.

"I see."

Silence once again settled, and Manta found it a little unnerving. It felt like the man wanted to say something. Turning back to face the man, he frowned a little. "So, when do I start again? They have different off days here, right?" he asked.

"You will start on Monday." Tamura confirmed.

That gave him today and tomorrow to get used to his new home. I didn't take too long to get the basic layout down, most of the house's basics were on the first floor, and the bedrooms were on the second floor. Since it would only be Manta staying here, it didn't need to be too grand. Saturday passed quickly while Manta snoozed, and by the time Sunday rolled by, the slow hazy feeling in the boy's mind had lifted.

He didn't have anything for a new school year, let alone when he didn't really know what to expect. His old briefcase from Japan would work, he decided, cramming a few unused notebooks into it and a pencil. Manta was surprised to hear that he wouldn't need a uniform, but brushed it off, figuring that off days weren't the only strange thing about this school.

When all was said and done, the teen found he was anxious for the day to start. What would the kids be like? Would they pick on him? Probably, he thought. Now laying in bed, sleep evaded Manta, something that he found very annoying.

"I have to be up early tomorrow, I need to sleep." he told himself in annoyance.

It didn't seem to persuade his mind any, because he found himself more awake than before. His mind was so crazy right now, thoughts from school to Yoh racing by, robbing sleep from him. It seemed nothing could calm him down enough to sleep! Heaving a frustrated sigh, Manta pushed the blankets down as he sat up in bed. The moment the blankets fell, he began to shiver, and quickly grabbed at them again.

Why was it so cold? Manta thought, glancing around quickly. With a frown, he realized he had been searching for a ghost. "Why would one exist in my bedroom....no one died here." he muttered in annoyance.

In the search for anything intangible, Manta's eyes fell on his balcony door. Even in the dark of night, he could tell it was cracked open, and frowned. He must have forgotten to close it before. Kicking off his blankets sluggishly, he hopped from his bed and padded towards the door. Glancing outside of the window, Manta could have sworn he saw a flicker of black and a glow of silver outside. Blinking, Manta looked again and saw nothing. It must be his imagination...

As he set his hand on the door to push it closed, the pinpricks in the sky caught the blond's eyes. Breath halting for a moment, Manta felt a sense of deja vu hit him like a brick. Only a few days back, he had been stargazing, hadn't he? The memory brought on a warm feeling, before a cold lump settled in his stomach. The warmth fled to only the outer reaches of his chest, creating a weird sensation.

Shaking his head quickly, as if to dispel the strange feeling, Manta quickly closed the balcony door.

0000000000

The room was noisy and crowded, nothing too surprising. Manta was relieved to see not that much was different between his new school and old school. Wandering slowly into the room, he tried to use his height to seem invisible as he searched out a seat to be taken for now. The teacher had yet to appear in his or her class room, so he'd wait till they returned to be assigned. His plan to remain invisible would have worked, had he not been a new face in the room.

"Hey, whose the kid?" someone asked amoungst the loud chattering, drawing everyones attention.

Under the sudden attention, the blond froze in his spot. Eyes wide, Manta thought of what to do. He hadnt been a new student in years, and he was panicing.

"Whats with the shrimp? Cant he talk?" someone demanded loudly.

"Whys a little kid here anyway?"

"Aww, he must be one of the teacher's kids. Its that take your kid to work day afterall." a girl said.

A vein pulsed under Manta's eye, and he twitched. They thought he was a little KID. "I-I am NOT a little kid!" he cried indignantly.

A few coos echoed, "No, you're not~ We're sorry!"

"Its so cute when they're young!"

Manta was saved the effort of defending himself when the teacher entered. The man was middle aged, a mustache on his face and a narrow nose with glasses perched upon it. Messy gray hair covered his head, and aside from the suit he wore, the man seemed kind. He waved to the class, and a few kids waved back and made various hoots and greetings. Manta got the feeling he was a popular teacher.

"Class take your seats! We have a new student today, and a full schedual for the day!" he said over their talking.

The class seated themselves, but didnt cease their talking. Everything seemed to click in their minds, some shocked, most disbelieving. Even the teacher seemed to be shocked by Manta's appearance. The blond didnt take it as offensive so much as something awkward to deal with. He knew he wouldnt get the instant respect any other child would get, let alone once they heard his name. The overwhelming realization almost crushed him.

He stared out into the sea of new faces as he listened to the teacher announce, "Class this is Manta Oyamada, your new classmate." he said, hitting a few sounds wrong as he spoke the name. Manta winced a bit, shuffling.

A few kids began snickering over the name. He tried to ignore them. "Is there anything you'd like to say before we start class? Any interests or such?" the teacher asked kindly, smiling down at the obviously uncomfortable blond teen.

Glancing up at the man, Manta felt his throat constrict. Dont worry, he told himself, it'll work out alright. Just say what you need and then you can sit. "Please take care of me." he mumbled, getting more snickers at the traditional greeting students said. The weight of different cultures slowly sank in. He was going to make a fool of himself before the day even ended, he thought furiously.

The teacher assigned the blond a seat near the front, next to a girl who looked like she was ready to hug Manta. As mortifying as it was, and as much as he didnt want to, he did as told and hopped into his seat. The teacher turned his back momentarily on the class, begining to talk. Manta sighed as he heard the snickers die down, removing a notebook and pencil from his briefcase. As he began to tune into what the teacher said, he felt a poke from his right. Jumping, he turned and looked.

The girl from before waved and smiled, her blond hair falling into her face. Manta thought she looked like an older Anna, if not a softer Anna. He waved a little, and blinked as a note skittered across his desk in a triangle form. Frowning, he glanced at the girl who nodded and then back to the note. Making sure the teacher was busy, he opened it slowly.

_My names Amber. Dont mind them, its probably just your height and accent_

_they're teasing you about. Where are you from?? And how old ARE you?_

Oh yeah, because he could change his height instantly, he thought bitterly. He hadnt noticed his accent, but he supposed to anyone else here it'd stand out fairly easy. scribbling down his reply slowly, minding the change in language, he checked again for a chance to pass the note back. The blond girl, Amber, scanned the note quickly and without even caring about the teacher, passed it back.

_Are you really 14? You're so...well, small._

_ps. you dont hafta be careful about notes. Mr. Ames doesnt mind notes, _

_he just hates when kids talk in class._

What a strange teacher, Manta thought, brushing off the unintentional insult. This note passing went on for a few minutes, and while Manta took few notes, Amber had promised to explain what was going on in class at lunch. The note passing had felt distinctly tabboo, but despite that, Manta didnt feel as nervous or down about school. Though he couldnt say he had a friend yet, Amber was kind, and she had even offered to answer any questions he had about school. It was a welcome helping hand.

The rest of the day passed slowly, homework nonexistant for the first day, but still stressful. He repeated his introduction each class, getting more accustomed to it per class period. His schedual was booked pretty full, and Manta had little doubt he'd be swamped in homework by the middle of the week. True to her word, Amber had flagged him down to her table at lunch.

The blond girl sat amoungst numerous other girls, most wearing bright pink or plaid colors. Most were blond, but some of the girls had light brunette hair, and they smiled and greeted the small teen eagerly. He got a few odd looks when he pulled a bento out, but he brushed them off. He'd been getting weird looks all day, and something from home was welcomed greatly. It relieved him to know he could take one thing back from Japan. He took comfort in his own customs, familiar and calming.

Amber passed Manta a thick packet of papers halfway into lunch, once the friendly chatter had died down. Taking it and scanning the front of it, he realized it was the assignment the class was working on now.

"Its due in a few weeks, as a final assignment." Amber explained, smiling. "I'll help you with it if you'd like."

Nodding, the blond smiled up at the girl. "Thanks."

000000000000000000000000000

OMG its done. well, chapter 2. each chapter will be in either yoh or manta's pov, depending on a few things. now that manta's is over, i can focus on messing with yoh's!! (looks around) eheh....i'm sorry manta's chapter is choppeh, i wasnt sure how or where to go with it, but i figured this would work. the teacher's name, ames, means friendly, and n hebrew, a burden btw. foreshadowing or not? idk XD thought it'd be fun to choose is and see if it ever came true.


	3. Chapter 3

oooh my good golly goose named jeffery D8 its been for freakin ever since i updated this...in my defense, fandom jumping kills any desire to write. BUT!!! i wrote a whole bunch, so hopefully it makes up for it....

review timez, yay~!

_**PennyArcadeFan2- **_ahaha, i was tryin to remember how i felt when i was new XD;; i'm new to a school like once a year, so maybe i'm not a good example anymore, but i remember always being very overwhelmed, and all i wanted was something familiar. i probably didnt convey that too well, but i'm glad you still enjoyed it! i hope i continue to do well, your reviews mean a ton!

_**kerokacola- **_i know whacha mean, being new fails...so many toes you accidentally step on, so many strange faces and customs per school. i recently moved schools, and it was like culture shock D8;; y'get so used to the way an open campus is, that when you go back to the old school schools, where you need a pass just to go to the library, its like "yeeaah...no" XD i adore manta as well 8D he's very human, and easy to relate to to some degree. always the odd one, even amoungst the oddies, and always unsure of how to help...he's very admirable with how he is imo. and thank you very much! i appreciate any reviews, and you did just fine X3 dont worry!

_**Hikari Motomiya- **_such a long review D8 i know i already answered you probably (er, then i guess i dunno? curse my memory) but i shall reply here anyhow~! it gets hard to keep in character when you're so used to a fandom imo. i get very comfy with shaman king, so i always worry if i've made them too ooc. i wanna make this as believable as possible when it comes to his transfer, cuz its not like changing countries would be easy. the food, the schools, the language, everythings very different, especially if you have an accent. when i first came to colorado, i got nothing but "you dont sound like you're frome here!" so i know that alone would probably be a big thing. i hope i did a decent job with that. lol, manta's height in any new school would get him picked on, i had to insert it! theres no way i'd ever think someone as fluffy and small as manta would be a high schooler or middle schooler at first guess. not to be mean or anything, he just doesnt look it. i'm aware of tamura's full name XD i'm just a lazy typer, i was staring at it like "are you kidding me...? we shall shorten so my fngers dont break every five minutes!" XDD forgive meee~? and i know what happens later, my friend misao is a major spoiler D8 and i'd heard earlier into the fandom when i was like 14 what happens XD but i appreciate the thought! and yeah, amber will have a decently sized role, but she wont be a main character. she'll be the manta of the fic D8 (oh, heartless linds, heartless!) i'll take your advice, thank you X3

_**Prats 'R' Us- **_manta will be fine 8D mentally abused by how i shall rub gobs of salt in wounds, but he shall be fine! and so is adorable~ thank you for your review!

_**Attractivlyhideous- **_why thank you! i've never really written anything this out there. (thats a lie, i should say i've never written anything this broad) and you'll see who that was this chapter. nooot to spoil that~ and lol, it honestly was rushed XD it was one of those chapters where you just wanted it ooover, even if it was a big chapter. i'm horrid...eh, we'll see more of it next chapter and a lil of it this time. the foccus isnt really on manta on this one sadly. and YAY i made someone scream~ (isshot) nothing good will come of yoh's chapter, which this is 8D;; i always wanted to write the tartarus cave thing, and even if its not spot on awesome this chapter, i shall do my best next! (thunder and lightening join the jaws theme, babies cry, and i cackle) ah~~ thanks for your review and time~!

_**X-Ruby-X- **_mglad you like it! 8D and sorry to tell ya, but amber will have a decently sized role in this. she wont be like a love interest or anything, but she will have an impact later on. she wont be an obnoxious oc though, i promise.

_**Katio- **_there joo go 8D

inspiration for chapter: "all around me" by flyleaf and "danse macabre" by some orchestra guy.

warnings: morbid hintings, occish, an oc...um....thats all? oh, hinted shounen ai, HINTED I SAY D8

thank you all for your time and reviews!! i'm very sorry this has taken so long, i hope you enjoy it though!!....gawd i rambled in those reviews D8 plz forgive my chatty nature!!

00000000000

"Go and make sure he's okay."

"But-!" Amidamaru started, silencing himself when he saw the look in his master's eyes.

"Please...just until I get back, okay?" he whispered quietly. In the back of his mind, all Yoh could think was, IF I get back...

The spirit frowned and it was obvious the thought hadn't slipped past him. Nor had the dual reasoning for the request. "Are...you certain?" Amidamaru tried again, despite that he rarely questioned Yoh. The way the teen looked at him, that heavy expression, it radiated a feeling the samurai wasn't comfortable with.

Turning to look back at the gaping cavern that he had yet to journey into, Yoh nodded firmly. "I'm sure. I want to know he'll be okay." he murmured, mostly to himself. Then, to Amidamaru, who was floating near by with a deep frown, he put on a serious face.

"And whatever you do, don't let him catch you. That'd put an end to the whole charade, and...then he might come back." Yoh said, wincing even as he said it. "It'd be for nothing if he came back and got himself killed..."

Amidamaru nodded slowly, understanding the reasoning but not entirely sharing the feeling. Anything that brang sadness to his master displeased the spirit, let alone when it was self inflicted. The plan had immediately gotten his disagreement, but while he hadn't felt it was right, he wouldn't stop Yoh. Whatever the boy decided, it was usually for the best. Flashing Amidamaru a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Yoh said, "Thanks..." before he began his way into the cave.

Watching him go, the man heaved a sigh. Turning, he left the entrance quickly, glancing back every now and then to make sure nothing was wrong.

0000

Upon closer inspection of the area Amidamaru knew Manta lived, he found no small blond boy existed there. In fact, the house he lived in almost had a melancholy feeling around it. It was as if all hope and joy was gone, or as if something important was missing. Amidamaru had little doubt about what exactly was missing. He had skimmed the classrooms Yoh and Manta had frequented, had raced through the inn and Manta's home, and there was no sight of the tiny blond.

It had taken a day to travel all the way back to Funbari, and most of the second day to fully search the town for any glimpse of the small teen. All he found was gossiping spirits, who had noticed Yoh's disappearance as well as Manta's. It seemed so much changed when the two left, even the moods of the students at their school. Settling himself on his headstone, the spirit frown deeply.

The only other place Manta could be...was far away from here. An ocean apart even, in a land he'd never even seen. But it was obvious he couldn't protect Manta from here. It was also obvious he didn't know what the heck to do! The worried frown was almost comical by now, though everyone was beginning to wonder if he'd lapse back to his old self.

"_Please...just until I get back, okay?"_

The memory made a gloom surround the samurai, before he sighed. His master had asked him to do this, he couldn't just say no! But...he was worried that he might miss something. What if Ren decided to have an early battle? What if Yoh got back and later that night, when he needed to go to the bathroom, he wasn't there to take him! The distress over his situation and what had been asked of him drove him up a wall. What could he DO?

After returning to Anna's side in Izumo, he consulted her. At first, the blond girl raised an eyebrow and a dark expression settled in her eyes. Amidamaru had a feeling he knew why, but didn't press.

"Why bother going to look for the shrimp. He ran like a coward." she spat, sipping her tea.

Watching the girl with a feeling of agreement but hurt, Amidamaru found himself wanting to defend the other blond. "He had mentioned his father was making him." he tried, but stopped when Anna shot him a disgusted glare. They both knew that Manta would be more than capable of getting away if he felt the need. The simple fact was, that he had run, instead of staying and facing his problems. Of course, Amidamaru understood why, but it didn't change the facts.

Still, he felt he couldn't let the matter rest until he at least saw the boy, so he wouldn't be letting Yoh down anymore than needed be. "I don't want to disappoint master Yoh anymore than I already need to...please, isn't there any way to-?"

"TAMAO!"

Amidamaru jumped at hearing the blond yell. Blinking quickly, he realized Anna had called for someone. Tamao? Who could that be? Seconds later, a girl opened the sliding door, obviously panicking, and knelt before Anna.

The short pink bangs of her hair did nothing to cloak the adoration the pinkette felt towards Anna, as she spoke quickly, "Y-Yes Anna-san?"

Anna didn't bother to meet the girl's eyes, whom Amidamaru guessed had to be Tamao. "Yoh left a mission for this samurai, and he needs your help."

Blinking bright red eyes, Tamao asked, "My help?" she glanced towards Amidamaru, who tried his best to smile at the jittery girl. She looked away quickly. Anna nodded. "The person Amidamaru was supposed to look after seems to have left the country, and we need to find him. You can aid him." she explained, sipping her tea.

Tamao frowned. "But..."

"You can do it, I have faith in you." the blond said.

Suddenly, behind the pinkette appeared two forms, who spared no time in launching into spastic laughter. "We get to DO something!" laughed a deep voice, of which belong to a raccoon. "I was about to make something up to!" chortled another voice, this time higher, and belonging to a pale yellow fox.

Tamao glanced behind herself, and a wary look crossed her face. No doubt she was wondering what these two would have done, had Anna not called for her. The two continued to talk to each other, loud voices detailing how they could lead Amidamaru somewhere then just leave him, and how they knew Amidamaru needed to go somewhere, he wasn't sure. But he didn't like their conversation either way...

A tea cup was all but slammed onto the low table, and immediately, the raccoon and fox hushed themselves. "You'll do EXACTLY as Tamao says, or you'll both regret it." Anna hissed, voice icy but serious, eyes narrowed in a glare. The two animal spirits instantly went rigid, and the samurai felt a wave of dread go through the room. Even to these fools, Anna was terrifying...

Once Tamao was given her instructions, the girl left to get her things ready, and Amidamaru turned to thank Anna.

"I'm not doing this for you or that shrimp." Anna muttered, stopping the man in his tracks. "So don't thank me. I'm doing it for Yoh. You better make sure this is worth it." she said, glaring at the samurai.

000

A short while later, Amidamaru was following the two strange animals, who hummed loudly and weaved strange patterns in the air as they flew. The forests and cities beneath them went by quickly, mere flashes of color for the smaller towns, and quick bursts for the cities. It wasn't that Amidamaru hadn't ever flown before, but it felt strange, flying so fast over so many places, and relying on a bunch of mischievous animals to lead him. In all honesty, it was a bit frightening. They didn't even seem trustworthy, but he was at their mercy. It was a strange and unnerving feeling.

Halfway over a city, the fox had turned to glance at the samurai with a cheeky grin. "Are we goin to FAST for ya?" he jeered.

Twitching at the fox, he began to call back his reply before he was cut off. "After all Conchi, he's just a HUMAN ghost!"

As the two began to cackle, Amidamaru shot them a dark look, not appreciating their teasing. The instant they saw the look, the two ceased their laughter, reminded of Anna. Even if she wasn't here, the samurai reported to her, and if she got pissed, she'd....Ponchi grabbed his crotch, remembering the last time she got mad. He could almost feel the nails...Conchi huffed.

The remainder of the trip over Japan was mostly silent, few jibes exchanged, even less spoken. When the two animal spirits got sick of the silence, they spoke to each other and spiraled around in the air, but Amidamaru kept silent. When finally all that surrounded them was cerulean skies and dark oceans, Amidamaru spoke.

"H-How much longer will it be?" he called out to the shrieking pair ahead of him.

Conchi chased a few seagulls excitedly, while Ponchi turned back and shrugged. "A day maybe?"

The yellow fox darted passed, cackling and making the man almost stop short in surprise. He watched the animals race around, eye twitching in annoyance. These two...Ponchi didn't look too concerned as they flew, and Amidamaru was beginning to worry a little. When Conchi finally let the poor bird alone, and the two were blissfully swishing their tails, the samurai pressed the matter.

"How long will it take?" he called again.

Turning his head slowly, the fox hummed, "Huh? Hmm..maybe, a day there and a day back? Its a straight path, and we don't need to conserve energy so..."

Amidamaru nodded, trusting them for now. He only wondered what was beyond this ocean. True to their word, it took all day and some of that night to get to where they were going. The land came up suddenly, a glowing strip of yellow and neon lights. Upon closer inspection, courtesy of the two fools who decided to dive bomb into the city with a shriek, Amidamaru, who was following close behind, saw that it was actually a long strip of buildings. They stretched a while, reminding the samurai of Tokyo.

Keeping an eye on the animal sprites who swirled and weaved around the surrounding area, Amidamaru glanced around warily. Teenagers and adults alike swarmed the city, all fair haired and bright eyed, chatting away in a foreign tongue that he couldn't understand. The neon signs were cluttered with strange shapes, and music blared. All in all, it was a huge culture shock, despite that the samurai had been expecting it. Somehow, that just made it worse.

"Hey! Stop standin around!!"

"Yeah! Arencha on some sorta mission?"

Amidamaru jumped, looking over to see Ponchi and Conchi waiting impatiently near a street a few dozen feet away. Jaw locking, the man hurried after them, reminding himself that he was indeed here on a mission. And as big a shock as it all was, and as big as the fear of getting lost here was, Amidamaru pushed past that. He needed to find Manta.

They traveled until sunrise through the city, half on a whim of the ever easily distracted Conchi, and half because the two honestly didn't know exactly where Manta was. "We had a general idea...the coordinates ain't always perfect." Conchi defended, tail swishing idly. The threat of Anna subsided in this strange land, and the samurai let the matter drop. He had little doubt they'd just floor it and leave him here if they so desired, should he piss them off. True, Anna would probably send them back, but that didn't mean he wanted to stay lost here.

Amidamaru kept a sharp eye out for any small blonds, but it seemed like there were entirely too many of those here...turning street after street, and shouting for Manta every now and then, they did eventually "find" a house. It was huge, two stories tall with balconies and tall windows, pale in color and the ONLY house with a name plate. A name plate, with curvy English, and tiny Japanese beneath it, that read "Oyamada". Nearly lighting with joy, Amidamaru had darted forth, barely hearing the calls from below.

"WAIT! WAICHA STUPID HUMAN!" Conchi shrieked as quietly as possible, speeding at the ghost.

"Arentcha not sposed ta let the kid SEE ya!!!"

Stopping short, and nearly making the fox run into him, Amidamaru froze. Heaving a relieved sigh, and muttering, the fox glared. "Geez, y'tryin to get us busted? The kids up y'know!"

Turning to look at Conchi oddly, the ghost's question was answered easily. "I have good hearin." an ear flicked.

Glancing back at the house, the samurai frowned. Manta was in there then. He was there, just out of reach, but there. A wave of excitement flew through Amidamaru, and it took a lot to refrain from rushing over and seeing his friend. Partly it was because Manta was just that, a friend he didn't think he'd see again. But mostly, it was because at least now, his master would be able to rest easy, knowing that the small blond was okay.

An hour had passed before the proof of Manta's existence surfaced, walking slowly from the large house. From their hiding place, Amidamaru watched, taking note of the nervous expression and the jittery way the blond walked. He also noted the backpack that Manta wore, and connected the dots. Next to him, Ponchi yawned widely, clearly not entertained. He payed them no mind.

Ii'm going to follow him, you two do what you want." Amidamaru said quietly.

"But donchu just gotta check up on im?" Ponchi asked, absently scratching his bulging...tummy.

"Yeah, lets go home if you're done." Conchi whined.

"Not until I actually know." the man said. "A glimpse of him with a backpack is hardly anything to go by."

He heard two huffs of annoyance, but he didn't look back to see if they followed as he flew from the bushes they were hiding behind. Making sure to keep at a distance, lest he be seen, the samurai followed the car, following it through busy streets and thick crowds. Once or twice, he almost lost it. The relief of seeing the black car after losing it in the mess of traffic was immense, and he did his best to not lose it more than once.

At last, the car pulled up alongside a gate, tall and wide open. The school itself looked like a castle, over done with its size. There were at least three floors, shiny glass lining them all, and tall trees in the ornate courtyard. Outside, teenagers mingled with each other, chatting and smiling. On their shoulders or laying on the ground near them were their backpacks, and no one wore a uniform. It was a shock to the ancient spirit, because he'd never seen a student at school without a uniform.

"Woah, lookit em all..."

Jumping, he made a face, forgetting Conchi and Ponchi had followed. This spelled doom for sure...

"Yeah, ooh look!"

"Wooaah, man, I like this place already! Skirts! Skirts galore!"

He sighed heavily, keeping an eye on the tiny blond as he made his way through the courtyard, drawing stares and whispers towards himself. A part of the man wanted to shoo them away, probably the part that had been doing that for Yoh for months now. But he stayed put, watching anxiously as the blond disappeared into the building. A hush fell over the crowds, before they relapsed into chatter.

0000

The further in he went, the darker it got. Not surprising really, Yoh thought, a little jittery. He never really liked the dark, especially not a haunted cave with no way to protect himself. The sound of his footsteps bounced off the rocky walls, the only sound besides dripping water and his heartbeat. Heaving a shaky sigh, he reprimanded himself for being so nervous.

"You'd think after Faust, nothing could scare me." he mumbled, squinting as it became harder to see.

His eyes were slow to adjust to the darkness. Yoh must have tripped five times before the fuzzy images of the stalagmites that littered the cave floor came into view. After his third trip, the brunette had taken to feeling around with his foot before he stepped down, hands out in front of him. A few times, he could swear something was crawling on him, and he shrugged it off as paranoia. The dark did strange things to a person.

A small tinkling echoed, and the teen froze, wondering what it was. It sounded like a bell, he thought. But he heard nothing. Frowning, he shrugged and kept walking, picking up his pace. It was probably water, and he didn't want to stay here for much longer. Toeing the ground his his foot carefully, he traveled deeper into the cave. The tinkling returned with a vengeance, and he was about to just demand what it was. It stopped and returned periodically, and Yoh found that his feet were taking him towards it.

Then he froze. The pungent stench of rot filled his nose, and he almost gagged. Whatever it was, it wasn't something Yoh wanted to go near. His grandpa had mentioned this cave was used to bury the deceased centuries ago, maybe thats what it was. Somehow, he doubted they'd still be rotting like this, if the bodies had stopped coming centuries ago. Whatever had died, he didn't want to be near, and that was that.

Turning quickly, he carefully began to trek back the way he had come, before he realized, much to his dismay, he couldn't SEE where he'd come from. Biting his lip, Yoh shakily walked forward, hands out in front of him. He couldn't stay near whatever was behind him, and the only way to get away was to walk. How had anyone ever ventured into here and returned anyway? It was so dark...Yoh was sure most had brought a flashlight with them.

Like it'd help, he thought irritably. His own headphones had suddenly went dead the moment he entered the cave, and despite the full batteries, his Walkman went dead as well. Yoh had little doubt that electronics in general would do little good in this place. Relief flooded him when he managed to get away from the scent, cool air from the sea blowing over his ruffled hair. Heaving a sigh, Yoh opened his eyes, which he'd closed due to the fact he couldn't see anyway.

He promptly stumbled back and yelped when a face came into view. In front of him stood a tall person, the gender unknown. It had a faint glow, which told him it was a ghost. If that hadn't given it away, the tattered old styled kimono and makeup would have. No one dressed that way, he thought nervously. Long black hair draped over the small shoulders and round face, stopping just short of the spirit's waist.

"You look lost." it said simply, red lips frowning.

Smiling weakly, the brunette laughed. "Yeah, a little."

The person titled their head, curious. "Do you need any help? I've been here for some time. I could lead you towards the entrance." it offered, voice smooth and low.

His better judgment shrieked, don't you DARE accept that offer! Theres a reason its so hard to get through this cave, and to survive seven days, and it wasn't just the darkness. Glancing around, Yoh noted the spirit had come from where he had just been. It also had spatters of blood on its clothing, and he doubted it was its own. His smile dropped a little, but quirked back at the corners.

Heart beginning to pick up, he waved a hand carefully. "No, thats alright. I'm sure I can-"

"Are you sure? Its very dark, and you nearly walked into a gaping hole just now." the spirit said, cutting Yoh off easily. "It wouldn't be a problem at all, I've nothing better to do. No one comes here." it moved closer, and Yoh could see now the slight curve of its chest. glittering brown eyes watched him carefully, and he swallowed. Absently, he kicked a pebble towards where he'd been walking towards, hearing it fall and grow dimmer with each clack.

Paling, Yoh, felt his smile drop. Not looking away from Yoh, the now confirmed female smiled. "Didnt believe me, did you."

Embarrassed, Yoh shrugged, but didn't look away. "I wanted to make sure of where it was." he lied.

Nodding slowly once, the woman hummed. "Uhuh...are you sure you needn't any help? This cave is full of holes."

Biting the inside of his cheek, Yoh honestly debated it. Falling to his death was NOT what he planned for. Common sense told him not to agree, but panic and claustrophobia encouraged him to accept the offer. What better way to escape than asking the local? "I...suppose it wouldn't hurt."

The woman smiled, slow but wide. Yoh couldn't help but wonder if he'd made the right decision. The spirit lead him a little to the left, soft voice echoing in the cavern. The scent of salt water made Yoh's stomach flip, the knowledge freedom was just around the bend making him anxious. At some point, he and the spirit had began to talk to each other, small talk really.

"What brings you here? Not many mortals enter..." the woman asked, the sound of rushing water growing in volume.

Yoh went rigid for a moment, but it was fleeting, hardly there. He smiled a little too widely. "I'm training for a battle. I need to increase my mana so..."

"A battle? What sort?"

"Its called the Shaman Fight. It'll determine who becomes the Great Spirit." he explained, nodding.

Going silent, the spirit thought for a long moment. "So what is your motivation for such a goal?"

Stopping short, the brunette blinked owlishly. "Eh?"

"Surely," the woman paused, brushing back her voluminous hair behind an ear. "There must be a reason you're fighting. Is it a lover?"

An image of Anna came to mind, and he shrugged a little, smiling. "Kind of."

"Oohh? Do tell me about them!" the woman cooed, eyes darkening, hardly a twinkle lingering.

Scratching his cheek, Yoh hummed. "Well...she's pretty for starters. She has blond hair, and thats really odd here I think. Its natural to!" he joked, not really wanting to go into detail about this with a stranger. "I only know...one other person with hair that color." he said, lowering his gaze.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Whose this person?" she pressed.

"...just a friend." he said quickly, not wanting to linger on the subject. He'd tried hard to ignore the memory of Manta, not wanting it to intrude on his own selfish goal. The more he thought about him, the harder everything would be.

"He doesn't sound like JUST a friend." the woman hummed.

Snapping his gaze to the woman, Yoh gawked, eyes wide and distrusting. "How did you know-"

"His gender? I guessed." she replied, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.

Allowing himself to calm, the brunette settled for a thin frown. "R-Right..."

Gesturing with a wide sweep of her stained arm, the woman smiled. "Shall we continue?"

Yoh was silent, only nodding his affirmation. He could hear rushing water, surely they were close. He just wanted to hurry up and complete this cavern, and go home. Hesitantly stepping forward, he allowed himself to be lead. His thoughts were drawn inevitably back to Manta, the silence doing nothing for him. They twisted and turned, wrapping around the only thing that really lingered in his mind. Were they even still friends?

Surely, Manta was still Yoh's friend, first and best human friend. But after his act at the hospital, Yoh wasn't so sure he was Manta's. The hurt, the betrayal that lit the blond boy's eyes had been genuine. There'd even been tears, he remembered. they'd horrified him, made him remember the times people had made HIM cry. To think he'd done that to the first human to accept him, it haunted him.

So lost in thought, the boy failed to notice the distancing sound of rushing water, and the chill that was settling into his skin. He probably hates me so much, he thought, a glaze beginning to settle over his eyes. He felt hopeless, like maybe his promise to himself hadn't been for anything. What was the point of dragging the blond back if he didn't WANT to be back? It sounded an awful lot like a wasted effort. Perhaps he should just discard the idea someone he loved would care-

Wait, love? He blinked quickly, face flushing then going pale. No, no, it was a friendly love he reminded himself. How could he love someone he'd only known a year at best? He didn't, thats all. The only one he loved was Anna. There was an echoing hum of thought, that sounded internal more than outward. Blinking, Yoh tore himself from his musings to glance at the spirit next to him.

Or where it had been.

Belatedly, Yoh realized the female had vanished from sight, her glow no longer lighting the cavern's interior as much. He froze up, legs locking in fear and horror. He couldn't hear the sea anymore. And everything was a bone chilling cold. A hand raised against his will, wiggling the darkness cloaked fingers at his face. He was seeing through eyes that were not his own any longer. The realization sent a heavy cold lump spiraling into the pit of his stomach.

S-She possessed me?! He thought frantically. Why? What for?

"Stupid boy. You should pay your surroundings more attention when walking with strangers." his voice said, contempt and amusement lighting it.

No way...what did she plan to do?! A rampage? No, he had no weapons-

"I'm going to make you my company. You'll find the other cave dwellers to be...most amusing." she hummed, turning and stepping more to the right with little thought. The pungent stench of rot, something he'd overlooked entirely, began to waft through his mind. She was going to kill him!? No! He struggled for control, desperate to even just claim a finger. He needed his hand, so he could break the possession.

Amused, the woman toyed with the clean feel of the brunette's hair in a warm hand. She hadn't felt this in so long. After all, few ventured in here. "As if you can overpower me. I've been doing this for centuries." she laughed, the feminine tint to Yoh's voice bouncing around hollowly, mocking him.

Why?! What could she gain from this? And...and why him?

The ground steadied, the sound of his clogs tapping slowly ceasing. "Why? Because they left me here. Being alone, it grates on ones sanity after a few years. Why should I be alone?!" she spat, eyes narrowing at the darkness. He couldn't see what she could, but Yoh knew she knew what was ahead of them. The scent gave it away. Taking the momentary pause to his advantage, he tried desperately to squirm his hand into his own control. He managed a finger, his index finger, before she refocused.

The crushing feeling of the spirit's power settling back over what he hadn't claimed stung terribly, but he fought to keep it under his control. He couldn't die this way, Yoh had far too much he needed to do before he died! He heard a scoff, and felt the woman's disdain bubble up. "As if theres any point. He hates you. Face it. Your cause is for nothing." she spat, the emotion in her voice telling more than her words could.

Yoh's squirming ceased momentarily, shock settling over him just long enough for him to lose his hold on his finger. W-What the hell? Where'd that come from? And how did-

"I know? You aren't very crafty at hiding thoughts." she hummed, rolling Yoh's eyes. "He doesn't love you. He doesn't even LIKE you." she spat, taking another step forward. she'd break him before he died.

I don't love him to begin with, he thought bitterly, fighting with desperation to reclaim his hand. Ignore her, ignore her, just get back control, I cant die here! He thought frantically. She knew nothing of what she said anyway!

"Don't I? Anyone would hate someone who did what you did. Life or death? When you're powerless, you run." she said, skipping a pebble idly. "Theres no shame in that. To be hated for that, of course he'd hate you." she reasoned, gesturing to prove her point.

But I didn't mean it, I just wanted him safe-

"He doesn't know that."

The smug response just about sunk him. Its true, he thought. I lied, I didn't mean a word of it, but....he doesn't know that. He doesn't know. Quickly, he shoved the hopeless feeling away. No, no, ignore her! Manta would understand once he explained himself. He was a smart boy, and he had honestly liked him, of course he'd understand. Right? He could understand if he didn't...having your trust shattered that way, of course it'd take a heavy toll. But they were friends, friends didn't just give up! He thought furiously.

"But what if he did? Surely, he's left the country by now. Why would he hang around for someone like you?" she hummed, drawing ever closer.

If he did...then...he didn't know what then. He didn't know anything except that his body had turned. The scent of rotting flesh became stronger, and the pebbles his feet kicked up echoed and vanished. Its a pit, Yoh thought dimly, trying even harder to regain control. He couldn't see a thing, but he could hear the buzzing of flies, the clacks of stones and he knew he HAD to do something.

This shouldn't be so difficult, he thought furiously. He'd bee practicing Oversouls for weeks, this should be cake! Maybe it was the age or the excessive hate that wafted from the woman that made this difficult. Strong emotions made strong spirits after all.

A sharp drop met half of his foot, and even without sight, he knew he was on the edge of the precipice. All at once, he felt the groundless feeling of free falling. Out of instinct, he grabbed for the ledge, the sharp and slippery rock cutting into his hand. The flies were all around him, and the cold had dissipated rapidly. I'm free, he realized. Where had the woman gone? He could hear a distant laugh, but he saw no distinct glow.

She left, he thought dully. Why? Probably because she was sure he was a goner. Not on my life, he thought furiously, reaching up with his other arm to grasp the rock. He could feel things skittering across his fingers, over the skin that his outstretched arms exposed. It took alot to not shriek and let go. She probably thought he was dead, he couldn't blow it.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and pulled himself up. There wasn't much he could grip with his clogs, making it harder to climb up than it should. He focused everything he could on getting up, telling himself he could scream when bugs crawled on him and he could wallow in his depression when he was safe. Bringing up a knee to help drag himself over the ledge, the brunette fought the urge to puke. The scent and encounter and the still skittering insects were wearing on his nerves, quicker than necessary.

As he kneeled on the solid rock, relief flooding his body, a thought hit him. She'd said others had come before him. A cold something settled once more in Yoh's stomach, realizing he couldn't ever let his guard down if more spirits like that resided here. What would he do if he couldn't sleep for a week? Or worse, if he couldn't find his way out. Just this had been enough to fray his nerves, what would he do if he was starving in here or exhausted?

I better hurry then, he thought, glancing around. He saw no glows of any kind, he heard nothing but buzzing insects. He knew which way he came, and that was the way he couldn't go. He couldn't fight off the woman twice, she was too powerful to get rid of if he didn't expect it. Patting the ground around him carefully, he began to crawl forwards, getting to his feet once he trusted his legs to hold him.

The gaping hole was a few feet away, and if it continued this way, Yoh was sure he'd be fine. Edging around the cavern carefully, he consoled himself with the thought it'd be fine. If others could escape this place, then so could he.

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ooooooooomg long as hell. and i wonder if its even gooood. well, there'll be more of yoh's journey later. i wanted to finish it in one chapter, but that...would royaly fail. besides, it adds suspense i guess. waaaay stretching any degree of creative liscense i'm sure, but it would be so boring if everyone just sat and waited. er, hopefully it wasnt so bad?


	4. Chapter 4

After what, three years? I finally updated lD i've been so wrapped up in my own stories and ideas and other fandoms, I havent really worked on anything for this story. I finally finished the timeline for it however, so I wont lose track again at least!

Thank you to E, Katio, Prats 'R' Us and kilatails for the reviews! They inspire me and keep me going and I cant forget how they spurred me forward!

Warnings: the ever present AU detail, mild inaccuracies in the world (the cave).  
Disclaimer: I own nothiiiing DB

no manta really in this chapter. Perhaps next chapter!

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Hands outstretched, the brunette felt around, eyes wide open and searching for any glows. With a shaky and careful foot, Yoh felt the cave floor before setting his weight down. He'd learned the hard way that startling insects resulted in terrible bites, or that carelessly setting his weight could result in a one way ticket to hell faster than he could scream. The spider that had launched itself at his ankle left two gaping punctures, and his ankle numb and aching. Yoh wasn't sure if he'd die, but he was fairly certain he'd been poisoned.

Edging his way carefully around a corner, hands patting down the surface gingerly, he listened carefully. The pebbles didn't distance for eternity, nothing skittered, and no tinkling bells met his ears. So far, since his encounter with the spiteful and selfish woman, his journey had been relatively smooth. He couldn't help but worry. Past his worry for his health after the bite, Yoh was beginning to panic. What time was it? He wasn't sure if he was tired or hungry or anything, the pulsing adrenaline from his fear had kept him numb from everything but startling pains.

"I wonder how far along I am..." Yoh murmured, the sound of his voice giving him chills.

He couldn't get over the unsteady lilt it held when he was possessed before. The brunette hadn't even been aware he could have such a nasty voice, he hadn't used that sort of tone in years. But the sound of his voice, however unnerving as it was right now, comforted him a little. Constant silence frayed his shortening nerves, and kicking pebbles for sound wasn't a good substitute.

True to her word, the cavern had been full of gaping holes so far. More than a few times, until he'd mastered the art of lightly stepping and kicking pebbles, Yoh had nearly fallen down said holes. The sound of gushing water that echoed from some of the holes made him worry. This WAS a cave just off from the sea shore. Would it fill up? Swallowing thickly, Yoh tried not to think about the certain death by drowning that could happen at any time once the sun went down. Not that he could tell when it did, in this place everything was as dark as night every second of the day.

By the time Yoh had safely made it around that bend and down the next cavern, his foot had fallen asleep. At first, he'd rubbed at it, hit it, done anything to try to wake it up. He couldn't make out sounds and walk at the same time with only one foot, he thought frantically. Leaning against the wall heavily, he heaved a sigh. All at once, everything had begun to catch up, from the pain in his leg, to his hunger and exhaustion.

Slumping slowly, after patting the ground down, Yoh winced. The floor was rough and bumpy in all the wrong places, but his aching legs cried with relief. He let his head thunk against the rock, grimacing. It felt like hours had passed, but he couldn't really tell. That was probably what made people go insane, he thought. Closing his eyes momentarily, he tried to calm himself down.

"Panicking doesn't help anyone." he whispered to himself.

He tried to think of something to calm him, but all that came up were worries or memories. Memories that made his chest feel like it had caved in, he thought bitterly. The woman's words from before drifted in and out of his mind's eye, and the brunette found himself uncharacteristically pessimistic suddenly. Was it really so uncharacteristic? He had reason to doubt, didn't he? Even if he did, right now was far from the time to do so, he scolded himself.

Letting his shoulders slump a little, he sighed again. He wondered how Amidamaru's mission was going, if Manta had really left.

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School was both a ritualistic and interesting thing to watch. Everyone had strange clothing on, distinct clothing and backpack styles, and the teachers spoke and taught in odd ways. Some talked for the whole forty minute period, others did nothing, and the children were expected to entertain themselves somehow. It was odd, compared to the school Yoh came from. The only one Amidamaru was really paying any attention to was Manta.

At the front of the class, his wide eyes were glancing around quickly, as if awaiting some form of attack. Seconds passed, and he spoke little, in a language the samurai didn't understand. Frowning, he wished he could go in and ask.

"Recons a bitch eh?" Conchi hummed quietly.

Glancing back at the two, Amidamaru felt the urge to sigh, had he any lungs. Ponchi was squirming into a vending machine, scarfing down all he could. The two hadn't been very...sneaky, in the last three hours. Garbage cans were upturned, vending machines empty, bathrooms raided. The man was worried they'd get Manta in trouble somehow, and had little doubt someone was going to get in trouble for all the damage.

"Could you two please stop causing so much trouble…?" the ghost asked, frowning.

Conchi wrinkled his nose and pulled out a blunt from seemingly nowhere. He lit it with a burst of green foxfire and brought it to his lips. "Its so fucking BORING though." He muttered.

Amidamaru found the sight of a dog smoking to be beyond strange, but he ignored it. "Surely there is _something_ more amusing than ransacking a school building…"

"Not really. It is _school_ we're talkin about here."

Right. Amidamaru continued to watch the small blond boy. How lonesome he looked, standing in front of the class by himself.

000

"This is boring." Conchi said irritably. "How long are we going to play tour guide?"

Exasperation welled up in the samurai's chest. They had been complaining since they arrived to watch Manta and Amidamaru had the feeling that if he didn't placate them soon, he'd be on his own here.

"I must continue to watch over Lord Manta." the man said firmly. "Until Lord Yoh returns, I must stay."

"Sorry pal, that ain't gonna float." Ponchi snapped, wandering over to the two.

Conchi scurried up to Ponchi's side, flicking the ashes from his blunt. "That's right. Wrap your shit up, because we're done here."

Indignation was scrawled across Amidamaru's face. "Excuse me? Was it not your duty to guide me however long I want?"

"No can do." the two said in unison.

Looking to Manta's bedroom, the samurai was torn between leaving with the two and doing as Yoh wanted. It was almost sunset and the city was lighting up like fireflies. Manta had just arrived home and the spirit felt it was important to stay and protect the youth. He couldn't leave after only a few hours, that would be irresponsible.

"I cannot leave. Lord Manta needs me still." Amidamaru stated, leveling a firm expression to the two spirits.

The animals exchanged a look that could only be described as ominous. Before the samurai could speak, the two were gone, darting into the sky. Gasping, the man looked at the fleeing spirits incredulously.

Silence covered the backyard, crickets chirruping loudly. The wind blew by, rustling Amidamaru's hair and clothes lightly. In that moment, he realized he was alone in this strange country. Sighing, he brushed the hair from his eyes.

Well, at least now he could stealthily keep an eye on his friend.

000

"Are you okay, Manta?"

The blond was curled up in a futon Yoh had set out, rubbing his throat lightly with a hand. He kept his eyes on the sheets, a dull look to his eyes. Manta shook his head lightly.

Frowning, the shaman stepped over and sat next to the boy. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly, rubbing the boy's back.

Manta was a proud person. Had Yoh done this any other time, the boy would have shrugged him off and snapped that he wasn't a child. However, tonight hadn't been just any other night.

As if the dam had broken open, the boy's words poured forth quickly. "I-I don't know how you deal with this life." he stammered. "Ghosts, whatever he was, I-I cant take this sort of thing. I'm just a normal kid, I-I cant handle this."

Yoh pulled him closer, rubbing his back slowly. "This was my fault. I should have taken care of you better." he said softly.

"But it wasn't." Manta looked up at him, eyes wide and nervous. "I made a bad judgment and I almost died. Really almost _died_. I was taken _hostage_." he said weakly. "What would have happened if Ryu's friends hadn't taken action? What if he had killed me?"

The brunette thought for a long moment, tapping his chin. "Well, you'd have died probably." he said softly. "But I will keep you safe. You can have my body if you ever die." Yoh said with a smile.

A look of disbelief clouded the blond's face. "This isn't a joke Yoh. This is...god, I cant even _count_ how many times I've been in danger. What if the next time is the last?"

Yoh understood the terror of death. Even if he himself could see the other world, he understood the terror that came with the events before a death. He never wanted the boy to suffer like that.

Burying his face in the blond's soft locks, he spoke softly. "I promise, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I wont let you die."

Manta was quiet. For a moment, Yoh worried he wouldn't respond at all, before he felt a small face press against his side. Blinking, the brunette looked down and felt a smile form. He held his friend closer and pulled him down to the bed.

Opening his eyes, the world swam in and out of focus as Yoh regained consciousness. Looking around slowly, he realized he was no longer in his warm bedroom, cradling his precious friend to his chest.

No, he was in that cursed cave again. Sighing shallowly, the brunette wiggled his toes. They were still numb. His stomach grumbled angrily and his body ached. He longed for the days he shared with Manta, even that night when Tokagero had kidnapped his dear friend.

Closing his eyes, Yoh urged himself to relax. He needed to focus on his current situation, not dwell on the past. Opening his eyes, he braced himself against the jagged wall and worked to stand up. With a numb foot, he needed to be even more careful.

As he moved to begin walking, a dull roar filled his ears. Tensing, Yoh looked around quickly. Was it a spirit or a pit? It sounded so powerful...

Wiggling his toes, Yoh realized he was ankle deep in water. The scent of salt stunned him. The tide was coming in. Gasping, the boy felt his heart beat fast. What the hell was he supposed to do in a cave with no way out?!

Panic welled in Yoh's chest as he frantically began moving towards what he felt was the safest route. He needed to hurry and find the exit and fast.

He stumbled and cried out, knees connecting with the hard ground painfully. Quivering, Yoh hissed in pain as he tried to stand, his body rejecting his commands. Water brushed against his chin, soaking the tips of his bangs.

What was he going to do? He thought as he pushed himself to his knees. The water was nearly to his hips by the time he was to his feet. Struggling to move forward, Yoh felt the weightlessness of treading in the water, pushed forward by a sudden surge of water.

The brunette was pressed up against a wall, the wind pushed from his diaphragm. Panting, Yoh struggled to push away from the wall, unable to feel the ground any longer under his feet. Closing his eyes, Yoh let out a small prayer.

_I'm going to die. I'm going to drown in this hellish cave and I cant even tell Manta or Anna how I feel, or thank you, or goodbye._

A surge of water engulfed him fully, the salt burning his eyes through his tightly closed lids. His chest burned with the need to breathe and Yoh knew then and there it was over.

_I'm sorry._ He thought weakly, before he blacked out.

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aha! I updated and left you to screech in terror at the possible ending to this.


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